High-octane Nationals await visit from Diamondbacks (May 02, 2017)
WASHINGTON -- The Washington Nationals had just set a number of franchise records Sunday, including seven home runs in a game against the rival New York Mets.
Third baseman Anthony Rendon also established a few milestones, setting a Montreal/Washington franchise record with 10 RBIs while slamming three homers against the Mets in a 23-5 win.
But Nationals manager Dusty Baker, perhaps like all good skippers, didn't allow himself to dwell too long on just one game.
He knew that another formidable opponent was on its way to Nationals Park, as the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks (16-11) begin a three-game series in Washington on Tuesday.
Right-hander Tanner Roark will start on the mound for the first-place Nationals while fellow righty Taijuan Walker of Arizona will try to slow down a Washington offense that scored at least 10 runs in six games in April.
"I think last year he hit one run home and maybe one RBI the whole month but he finished extremely strong this month in April," Baker said of Rendon, who entered Sunday with five RBIs. "Like I said, we take a much-needed rest and tough series coming up against Arizona because they're playing good ball, too. So we just have to savor this one, have a good day off and come back smokin' on Tuesday."
The Nationals (17-8) had the day off Monday after returning from a three-city, 10-game road trip to face the Mets at home this past weekend.
Washington lost the first two games behind starting pitchers Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg.
But the bats exploded on Sunday against the Mets, with Matt Wieters hitting two home runs and Ryan Zimmerman (.420) adding three hits and two RBIs to give him a franchise-record 29 RBIs in the month of April. Bryce Harper (.391) scored 32 runs in April to set a major league record. And, by the way, Daniel Murphy is hitting .343 with 26 RBIs.
"Some guys had great months and so we start with a much-needed off-day. We start back May 2, I hope these guys enjoy the off-day because we have been dragging, we been running on fumes the last couple days," Baker said.
Roark (3-0, 3.64) has pitched in seven games in his career against Arizona, with four starts. He has a 2.51 ERA against the Diamondbacks. Roark got the win on Wednesday in Colorado as he gave up five hits and two runs in five innings.
No current Arizona hitter has more than nine at-bats against Roark, who won 16 games as a starter last year and posted 15 wins in 2014. One player with modest success against Roark is outfielder Yasmany Tomas, who is 2-for-6 with two homers.
Walker (3-1, 3.94) has never faced Washington. In his last start Walker, 24, went eight innings and fanned a career-high 11 while giving up just two runs on Thursday against the San Diego Padres.
Arizona is coming off a walk-off win Sunday against first-place Colorado with a 2-0 win in the 13th inning, as Daniel Descalso hit an 0-2 pitch into the pool in right-center field off Jordan Lyles.
"I'm just glad I gave us a chance to get the win," Descalso told reporters. "I'm not trying to hit a home run there on a 0-2 pitch, but he made a pitch out over the plate. I put a good swing on it and it ended up being the game-winner."
"Wow, great win," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters. "A great win. Everybody at some point in time chipped in for the moment."
